President Dr. Arif Alvi wrote to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja on Wednesday and asked that polls be held by November 6.
The message comes after rumors that the president would set the date for the polls on his own. Analysts, however, say that the letter is just an idea and not a formal announcement of when the election will be held.
In the letter, the president said that on August 9, on the advice of the prime minister, he had disbanded the National Assembly.
The president pointed to Article 48(5) of the Constitution, which he said “authorizes and requires the president to set a date for a general election to the Assembly that is not more than 90 days after the date of dissolution.”
So, the letter said, “According to Article 48(5), the general election for the National Assembly should be held by the 89th day after the National Assembly was dissolved, which is Monday, November 6, 2023.”
In the letter, the president said, “In order to meet the constitutional requirements, the chief election commissioner was asked to come to a meeting to figure out how to carry out the constitutional intent and mandate.”
But in his reply, the CEC “took a different view,” the letter said. “He said that, according to the Constitution and electoral laws, it was the job of the election commission, and that, after the last census was published on August 7, duly notified delimitation of constituencies was in progress, which is a requirement under Article 51(5) of the Constitution and Section 17 of the Elections Act, 2017.”
It also said that the law minister shared the same view on the subject and that all four provincial governments agreed that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was in charge of announcing the election date.
“Furthermore, there is agreement that general elections for the National Assembly and the provincial assemblies should be held on the same day to strengthen the federation, promote unity and harmony between provinces, and avoid spending money on things that aren’t necessary,” the document said.
Recognizing that it was the ECP’s job to follow all the constitutional and legal steps set out in Articles 51, 218, 219, 220, and the Elections Act, 2017, in order to organize and run free and fair elections, the president suggested that the ECP, “in consultation with provincial governments and political parties under the relevant provisions of the Constitution and in view of the fact that some of these matters are already subjudice, may seek guidance from the supreme court.”